Improvement in manufacturing wire rope



N. PETERS. PNOTOALITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea JOHN A. ROEBLING, OF TRENTON, NEV JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING WIRE ROPE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l I ,973, dated November 21, 1854.

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. ROEBLING, of Trenton, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new ImprovementI in the Manufacture of lVire Rope; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description. Y

To explain the nature of my improvement I will first describe the mode of operation in a general Way with reference to the accom panying five plates of drawings.

Plate No. l represents a portion of my wirerope Walk, that .portion which I call the ropewalk proper in contradistinction from the strand-walk, which runs parallel to it, leaving a space of about six feet between the two tracks. composed of Wooden rails and ties, upon which the different machines which are required in my manufacture of Wire rope, and which are mounted on Wheels, are running.

The wire rope which I manufacture is generally composed of seven strands. These are made on the strand-walk, thence transferred upon the ropewalk, and there laid into a rope. In order to form a cable, three or seven such ropes may again be united by the saine machinery and on the same walk.

There are ten distinct parts of machinery used in my process of making wire rope. These are marked by the same letters in the elevation and top View of the `)vire-rope walk represented on the accompanying Plate No. l. A wire rope in the process of laying is there represented by red lines and marked A. It is attached to the main twist-carriage C, which is held stationary by the anchor-rope M. The six outside strands, marked by the red dotted lines B B, are fastened to the six hooks of the main countertwist-machine F. The end of the center strand is fastened to the center-strand conntertwistmachine E.

Both twist-machines are operated by the same driving-rope, (marked d d d,) which is also fastened to and propelling the top wagon D, which carries the top iron.

On my rope-Walk at Trenton, which is three thousand five hundred feet long, this drivin g-rope, made of wire, is over seven thousand feet long, arranged endless, and extends from one end of the walk to the other. On Plate No. l it is marked by the red lines c c ce d d.

Each of these Walks forms a trackl By the shaft Z, which receives its motion from the engine by proper gearing and belting, all the different machines are driven by means of endless wire ropes, which transfer the power. The rope d d c c passes three or four times around the drivingsheave R on the shaft Z, and at the same time around the rendering-sheave V, which is placed parallel to R, but alittle inclined, enough to clear the passes of the rope. The face of these sheaves may be either turned off smooth or in grooves. At the far end of the walk it passes around the sheave N, which may be fixed in a sliding frame held by the suspension-weight K, which is freely suspended over the stationary sheave L, or this may be done by any other suitable means. The free action of this weight or substitute therefor coinpensates the contraction and expansion of the drivingrope. y

The size of the sheave R and the gearing of the twist-machii'ies E and C are so proportioned that by the advance of the .drivingrope, and consequently of the top, that degree of twist is obtained which is wanted. Every turn of the spindle of C causes a corresponding turn of the spindle "of E, but in a contrary direction. The two machines face each other and are identically the same, the rope cada being so laid around their drivingsheaves that while C twists E countertwists correspondingly. The machine E is held by two small wire ropes, (indicated by the black dotted lines d CZ d (1,) which pass outside of the machine F and near the shop unite into one, which is then passed over rollers and attached to the suspension-weight Q for the purpose of regulating the tension of the center strand.

F is the main countcrtwist machine, to which the six outside strands are attached. Itis actuated by another endless driving-rope, (marked bythe red lines I) b h h.) Nowsince the machine C is anchored stationary and cannot move during the laying of a rope, the machine F is by the shortening of the strands forced to advance. This is rendered possible by the rise of the weight-box G, which is sus` pended by the driving-rope and exerts upon it a forcible tension. It is arranged to slide .up and down in a suitable frame. According to the size of the wire rope to be laid, this tension-weight may vary from two to twenty tous. Vhen the weight-box reaches the upper part ofthe framing, the whole machinery is stopped.

VThe driving-rope b ZJ b b b is propelled by the machine I-I, which I call the countertwist-machine, with hollow shaft. Its main features are two grooved driving-sheaves, which revolve around a hollow shaft in which a lever and clutch are so operated that the two sheaves will either form one with the shaft when in gear or will revolve independ-v ent ot' each other around it when outof gear. As this machine is connected with the driving-shaft Z by the spur-gearing Y, its motion will correspond to that of the driving-sheave R on the same shaft. For a distance of two to three hundred feet next to the shop a wooden track is erected, six feet above the lower one and running parallel to it, which serves for the sliding back and forward of the rendering-sheave P, which is fixed upon a sled. This sheave serves to transfer the working-rope b b b from one grooved sheave to the other of the machine H. The'sled is held by the rope c c c, which winds upon the cylinder O, and which is geared to the frictionwheel O by a double spur-gearing, that decreases the pressure but'increases the speed, so that. the great tension of the rope c c c can be easily resisted by the pressure of the lever I upon the friction-wheel. A wire, called the check-wire and marked by the dotted line ,e z e, and which leads over the roller U to the foot-board X, serves to `operate the frictionlever I.

The operation of the different machines employed in my process of laying wire rope willnow be readily understood. On the shaft Z being set in motion by the engine the sheave R will propel the driving-rope a civ a (aand thus operate the twist-machines C, propel the top D,and counterturn the center strand at E. By the correspondingaetion of the machine H the driving-rope b b l) b b operates the countertwist-machine F, which keeps the twist in the outside strands. The latter, being advanced by the shortening of the strands, causes the weight-box G to rise until it reaches the upper framing, when the whole operation is stopped by slackening the tightening-pulley which acts upon the driving-belt by which the shaft Z is set in motion. Now by disengaging the lever of the hollow shaft and slackening the cheek-wire Z Z the cylinder O will unroll so much of the rope c c c as is necessary to let the sled P move toward the machine H, and thus allow the weight-box G to descend. Before the latter has quite reached the bottom of the pit the lever in the hollow shaft is thrown into gear again and the whole machinery started anew.

I will now proceed to describe the different machines more in detail.

Plate No. 2 represents an elevation and top view of a twist-machine with three hooks as used on the strand-walk for the formation of three strands at one time. This machine does not differ materially in its construction from those marked C and E on Plate No. l., except in the number of hooks. The latter have but one single hook. The small bevelpinion Z7, keyed upon the spindle a, is driven by the bevel-wheel c on the shaft d. The pinion e is acted on by the spur-Wheelf. The driving-sheave h, of eighteen-inch diameter, is turned by the driving-rope a a., Plate No. i. To insure its adhesion and prevent slipping', it passes around three or four times and at the same time around the rendering-sheave l, which is setparallel to h, but enough inclined to one side so as to clear the turns of the rope. The face of these sheaves may either be either turned off smooth or grooved. To proportion the rate of twist for differentsized ropes a set vof pinions e of different diameters is kept onhand for the machines C. E, and Y, Plate No. 1. The pinion driven by Y is of the same size as e. By using` the saine sized pinions at C, E, and Y, the same twist and eonntertwist will be produced. In order to insert dierent pinions the shaft g, Plate No. 2, restsin a movable step 7a and turns in a corresponding collar t', which slide in open. boxes and can be secured by screw-bolts. Open slits may be noticed at n n, which admit the screw-bolts and the shaft g. When a pinion is to be changed, the spindle d is dropped by withdrawingthe key or pin which fixes itto c. Ata blocks of wood or iron are inserted to till the space between 7c and and the ribs inclosing them.

Plate No. 3, A and B exhibita side Aand front elevation and top view of the main countertwist-machine, (marked by theletier F on Plate No. l.) The six hooks a, with the pinions b, are placed around the master-wheel c, keyed on the shaft d, which also holds the bevel-pinion e, which is propelled by the bevel-wheelfon the shaft g, and which receives its motion by the driving-sheaves h, which form two grooves for the reception of the driving-rope b b bb, Plate 1.l This ropeis guided from one groove to the other by passing around the rendering-sheave Z, which is a little inclined to one side. The adhesion of thisrope is insured by its tension caused by the action of the free suspended weight G. There is nothing new in the construction of this machine, except the inode of propelling it by means of a driving-rope and adhesionsheaves.

Plate No. et exhibits a section and top view of the countertwist-machine with hollow shaft, (marked II on Plate N o. l.) The most conspicuous portion of this arrangement is the hollow shaft g g, of about six-inch bore, and the lever a., which turns upon the pin b, fixed in the side of the shaft. This lever has two joints or pins i' i', which pass through corresponding openings in the hollow shaft. The grooved sheaveseh and 7L can turn around the hollow shaft when they are out of gear. Their hubs are large and contain each a number of recesses, (marked 1070,) which admit the pins i t' when pushed in by the lever. The sheaves then form one with the hollow shaft. The latter being keyed to the bevelwheelfreceives its motion from the pinionc, which is driven by the spur-wheel y, Plate No. l. The hollow shaft and its machinery rest and move in a strong cast-iron frame Z Z,

which is supported by small rollers on asuitable timber framing, as shown in Plate No. l. This wooden framing allows suflicient space for the shifting of the cast-iron frame whenever a new pinion c is to be inserted to change the rate of twist. Its position is then secured by blocks and wedges. The bevelgearing of the hollow shaft and that of the countertwist-machine F, Plate No. l, are precisely the same, only reversed in combination. At the hollow shaft the speed is four times reduced, and in the other machine it is four times increased. The object of this arrangement is to reduce the motion of the endless driving-rope b b b b and consequent wear and tear of machinery. The strain of the rope is increased in the same proportion, and as this is amply provided for byits great strength needed on `account of the heavy weight suspended to it, the above arrangement I have found in practice to work best.

By reference to Plates Nos. l, 3, and 4, the operation of the hollow shaft and its machinery will now be readily understood. The person who attends to the lever when the Weight-box has ascended to the upper frame slackens the belt, which drives the shaft Z, and thus stops the whole operation of twisting. Ile then pushes the lever d out of gear, which renders the grooves h and 7L independent of each other, and by the use of the footboard @a he slackens the check-Wire Z Z suiicient to let the weight-box descend gradually. As the sled P advances, dra-wn by the rope b b', the two grooved sheaves are seen revolving around the hollow shaft in an opposite direction. The descent of the weightlooX when low enough is again arrested by tightening the check-wire Z Z, the lever is pushed back in the hollow shaft, and the whole machinery is again started as before.

In place of operating the twist and countertwist machines by endless ropes single ones may be used, which wind upon drums, which are geared to the twisting-machines. This arrangement is more simple and requires less power than the operation of an endless rope;l but a great objection is that the single rope from its length and want of uniform tension works by jerks and starts. I have thoroughly tested this plan and abandoned it and have substituted the endless rope. The latter has also thc advantage of saving time and labor, as the single rope, when unwound off one machine and wound on upon the otherby the process of laying a strand or rope, must be unwound again before another trip can be made. The arrangement of machinery of the two plans differ only in this, that the single rope requires drums to work while the latter is operated by adhesion-sheaves.

V'Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Operating the top wagon by the same driving-rope which operates the twisting-machines, for the purpose of regulating the advance of the top in proportion to the twist.

2. The propulsion and operation of the center-strand countertwist-machine by the same driving-rope which actuates themain twistmachine, forV the purpose `of insuring a perfeet correspondence between the motion of the two machines, and at the same time toinsure the proper tension of the center stra-nd by keeping it exposed to the action of a freelysuspended weight.

The combination of the two sheaves wit the hollow shaft for operating the endless rope and to operate the main countertwist-machine.

4. The whole arrangement, as above described, for operating the main countertwistmachine by means of an endless driving-rope, which is kept under a great tension by a suspended weight, and, being at liberty to rise, allows the machine to advance as the strands shorten, and at the same time insures a constant and uniform tension.

5. The peculiar arrangement for lowering the weight-box without slackening the driving-rope by the application of a brake, friction-wheel, and check-wire in connection with a windlass and spur-gearing, or the mechanical equivalent therefor, and in combination with the sled and transfer-sheave P. (See Plate No. l.)

JOHN A. ROEBLING.

Witnesses:

CHARLES SWAN, WM. C. HOWELL. 

